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(No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. FINCK.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTER. N0. 341,566. vPatented May 11, 1886.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. FINCK.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTER.

No. 341,566. Patented May 11, 1886.

N. PETERS, Phomumugmpher, washington. D. C.

(No Model.) s sheets-sheet 3.

J. FINCK.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC CAS LIGHTER.

No. 341.566. Patented May 11, 1886.

N. Puzns. www. waning o4 c JULIUS FINCK, OF SAN FRANCISCO,

PATENT OFFICE.

CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO TILL Si FINCK, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,566, dated May 11, 1886.

Application filed July 30, 1885. Serial No. ITILCQS. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, JULiUs FINCK, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Electric Gas-Lighters;'and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to that class of electric apparatus which is used for lighting gas; and my invention consists in the devices hereinafter described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

rIhe object of my invention is to provide electrical apparatus by which any number of fixtures, with any number of burners, in the same or separate rooms, may be simultaneously or independently lighted.

`Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of my electric gas-lighter. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same. Fig. 3 is a detail of levers G and catches I. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the concentric tracks and the levers G, and a diagram of the circuit-wires from the tracks.

Ais a gas-fixture, here shown as having three burners, though the number of burners may be greater vor less. This fixture is con-V nected by a pipe, a, with the gas-main, and in this connecting-pipe, at a suitable point, is a cock, a, by which the gas is shut off from the fixture or turned on. In close proximity to the cock a is a bed-plate, B, upon which is a circular plate or disk, C, made of non-conducting material, and provided on its surface with metallic tracks c. These tracks are circular and are concentric with each other, the number of tracks being equal to the number of fixtures which are to be lighted, one of said tracks corresponding to the fixture A. The tracks are ent into sections by radial spaces, and the number of these sections is equal to the number of burners on each fixture, and therefore, as the fixture A has three burners, the track which corresponds to it is divided into three sections.

Over the plate C is a bracket, D, on which the clock-work mechanism (represented generally by E) is mounted. The details of this mechanism need not be described, further than by pointing out e as the vertical shaft rotated u by the clock-work. On the inner end of this shaft is iirmly secured a metallic disk, F, to which is secured a radial frame, f. In this frame is fixed longitudinally .a short shaft, g, on which are pivoted the hubs g of the forked or angled levers G.

Springs g2 are small coil-springs which encircle tlie shaft g, and, bearing with one end against the hubs g of the forked or angled levers G, serve to hold the hubs g in such position that the inner and longer arms of the levers G lie normally out of contact with the plate or disk C.

H are push-spindles carrying arms h', the ends of which have pins 7i, which pass in through a suitable guide-bar, and are adapted to bear on the outer or shorter arms of the levers G. By pushing one ofthe spindles the pin h2 operates against the said arm of a lever, G, thereby forcing its inner arm against the plate or disk C, whereby it is enabled to travel over and in contact with the metallic track c.

A frame, f, is provided with radial armsf, against which one end of the springs lf/l and i bear, and has also bearings for the short shafts 'L' and g, the shaftihaving pivoted upon it small catches I, with the pins t" of which a tooth, g3, on the hub g ofthe levers G is adapted to engage when saidlevers are forced back, as heretofore described, whereby their inner arms are held agai ust the metallic tracks. The catches I are provided with inwardlyextending arms ffl, which come in Contact with pins c on the plate or disk C and release the catches from their engagement with the hubs of the levers G, whereupon the springs q2 of said levers return them to their normal position, while small springs fi: return the catches to their positions.

J is a metallic contact-spring scoured to the bracket D and bearing on the disk F.

K is an electro-magnet, having armature k secured to an arm, on a spring-shaft, L, journaled in a bracket, Z. To this shaft is firmly secured a lever, M, which extends down by the clock-work, and is provided with a bent arm, m., which projects inwardly and is adapted to come in the path of the fan-wheel e of the clock-work and to be withdrawn therefrom, as I shall presently describe.

On the outer end of' the driving-shaft e of the clock-work is a disk, N, having a notch, n, into which a small lug, m', on the lever M fits.

Z is the spark-coil.

O is the battery. From the carbon pole of one jar of the battery extendsawire,P,throngh the spark-coil to a metallic post, p, on the bedplate B; thence a wire, p', passes to the contact-spring, J, which bears on the disk F. Behind the bed-plate are wires Q, which are in metallic contact-with inwardly-extending pins q from each metallic track c and each section of each track. These wires pass to the metallic posts R on the bed-plate, from which extend wires o* to the burners. p

T is the return-wire from the gas-pi pe system to which the burners and fixtures belong, said wire passing back to the battery and joined to the zinc pole thereof.

On the bed-plateis a push-button, S, with which a wire, s, from the carbon pole of the battery is connected. A Wire, s', extends from the push-button to a metallic post, s, from which a wire, s3, passes to the electro-magnet K. From said 'magnet is a wire, 3*, t-o a metallic post, s, from which a wire, s, passes back to the zinc pole of the battery.A

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: It is designed for lighting as many fixtures with as many burners as desirable. In the present case we will suppose there are four fixtures in the same or different rooms of the building, each txtu re being provided with three burners. The gas is shut ofi" from all these fixtures at the cock a. For the four fixtures there will be four push-spindles H, four levers G, each operated by its own catch I, and four circular tracks c, each track being divided into three sections, each section representing a burner. There will be twelve wires Q behind the bedplate, one from each section of each track, twelve lnetallic posts R, and twelve wires r, one to each burner of each fixture. If the same gas-cock controls all the fixtures, it is obvious that they must all be lighted simultaneously; bntif each fixture has its own governing-cock, then only one fixture need be lighted at a time. It' this be the case, one of the push -spindlesH is pressed in. This movement, through its arm h and'pin h, acting on the outer arm of alever G, forces its inner arm. back in such position that it will travel over and against one of the metal'lictracks c. When in this position the catch I holds it there. The push-button S is now pressed in, closing its circuit, whereby the electro-magnet K attracts its armature k. This movement of the armature, acting through the pivoted shaft L, causes the lever M to withdraw its arm m from the path of the fan-wheel of the clock mechanism and to withd raw its lug m from the notch n of the disk N on th'e driving-shaft c of said mechanism. The clock-work mechanism, through the shaft e, carries the bar, f around N. and the levers G, and hold them long enough in a circular path, causing the lever G to move over and upon its own track c. In touching said track it closes the spark-coil circuit, of which it forms a part, whereby each burner is lightedas the levers move along from one section of the track to another. The disk N on the outer end of the shaft e, pressing against the lug'm, holds the lever M back, whereby its arm does not interfere with the fan -shaft. When the frame f has completed its revolution, the lug m of the lever M drops into the notch n ofthe disk N, and its arm m moves in the path of the fan of the clock mechanism, thereby cutting ofi` the power. A little before this stoppage the arm i of the catch I has come in contact with the pin c in the plate C, whereby it releases the hub of the lever G, so that said lever returns to its position. In order to light a second fixture, a second pushspindle is operated with the same result. The lever M is also provided with an arm, m, extending over the disk N and having au inwardly-projecting point, m,with which a small pin, n, on the disk is adapted to come in contact. The object of this is as follows: When the gas is first turned on at the cock, it takes it some time to till the pipes and reach the first burner. It is desirable, therefore, to stop the revolution ofthe lever G on that section of thetrack which corresponds with the burner, and as soon as said burner is lighted tolet it continue its travel. Now, when the push-button is operated to close the electro-magnet circuit, the lever' at once commences its revolution; but by holding the push-button in,the armature vof ythe magnet remains attracted, whereby the lever M is thrown over and held in a position to cause the point mn of the arm m2 to remain in the path of thepin n on the revolving disk This will stop the revolution of the disk for the first burner to be lighted, when, by releasing the button, the rotation of the levers continues. A

-Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In an electric gas-lighter, a fixed metallic track and atraveling lever in contactthere-`A with,both lever and track being in the sparkcoil circuit to the burners, in combination with a mechanism for throwing said lever into and out of contact with the track, a. clock-work mechanism for revolving the lever, and a means affecting the clockwork mechanism to start and stop it, substantially as herein described.

2. In an electric gas-lighter, the fixed and sectional metallic tracks c and the pivoted levers G, adapted to be brought in contact with said tracks, both levers and tracks being in the spark-coil circuit from the battery to the burners, in combination with a clock-work mechanism adapted to revolve the levers, an electro-magnet in a separate circuit, and a mechanism operated by the electro-magnet act- IIO ing through its armature to release and stop the clock-work mechanism, substantially as herein described.

3. In an electric gas-lighter, the iixed sectional metallic tracks c and the pivoted levers G, adapted to travel in contact with said tracks, in combination with the clock-work mechanism having the driving-shaft e, the metallic disk F on said shaft, and the frame io f, carried by said disk and carrying the levers ing each section oi each track with the burners,

as described, and the contact-levers G, adapted to travel on said traeks,in combination with the clock-work mechanism having shaft e, and metallic disk F on said shaft, and frame f, carrying the levers G, the contact-spring J on said disk, the electro-magnet K, having an armature, It', the lever M, actuated by said armature and having an arm, in, adapted to move into and out of the path of the fan-wheel of the clockwork mechanism, the push-button S, and electric circuit-Wires including' the push-button and electro-magnet, vwhereby the arm m is made to release and stop the clock mechanism, to effect and stop the revolution of the levers G, and electric circuit-wires of the spark-coil, including the spring J, disk F, frame f, levers G, and tracks c, substantially as herein described.

5. In an electric gas-lighter, as herein described, the pivoted revolving angled or twoarmed levers G, electrically connected with the battery, and the tracks c, connected electrieally with the burners, in combination with the means by which said levers are forced into contact with the tracks, consisting of the pushspindles I-I, having arms I/,with pins iadapted to bear on one of the arms of the levers G, whereby their other arms are forced in, snbstantially as herein described.

6. In an electric gas-lighter, as described, the pivotcd revolving angled or two-armed levers G, electrically connected with the battery, and the tracks c, connected electrically 7. In an electric gas-lighter, the pivoted revolving angled or two-armed levers G, electrically connected with the battery, and the tracks c, connected electrically with the burners, in combination with the push-spindles II, having arms h, with pins 112, by which said levers are forced into contact, and the means by which they are held in contact and released therefrom,consisting of the pivoted catches I, engaging the hubs ofthe levers, and having arms and the fixed pins c, with which the arms of the catches come in contact, substantially as herein described.

S. In an electric gas-lighter in which revolving contact levers open and close the sparlccoil circuit to the burners, the means by which thelevers are rotated over their contacts and are stopped, consisting of the clockwork mechanism E, havinga driving-shaft, e, by which the levers are carried, the pivoted lever M, actuated by the armature of an electro-magnet in a separate circuit, and the arm on on the lever M,adapted to move int-o or ont of the path ofthe fan-wheel of the clock-work mechanism, substantially as herein described.

9. In an electric gas-lighter, as described, the revolving levers G, electrically connected with the battery, and the sectional tracks c, connected electrically with the burners, said levers forming intermittent contacts with the tracks, in combination with the clock-Work mechanism for driving the levers, having shaft c, with a disk, N, on its top, having a notch, a, thelevcr M,aetuated;by the armature oi' an electro-magnet in a separate circuit, and having an arnnm, adapted to move into and out of the path ofthe fan-wheel ofthe clock-work mechanism, and a lug, m, bearing against the periphery of the disk N, and adapted to drop into the notch of said disk, substantially as herein described.

l0. In an electric gas-lighter, the fixed sectional tracks c, electrically connected with the burners, and the revolving contact-levers G, which open and close the spark-coil circuit to the burners, in combination with the clockwork mechanism having shaitc, by which the levers are carried and revolved, the means by which the clock-work is started and stopped, consisting of the lever M, having an arm, m, moving into and out of the path of the fanwheel of the clock mechanism, the push-buttou S,and electro-magnet K, having armature lr, operating the lever M, said push-button and magnet being in a separate circuit, and the means by which the levers G are stopped at a given point, consisting of the disk N on the top of the shaft e, having a pin, n', and the arm mt on the lever M, having a point, m, adapted, when the lever is moved by the atA traction of the electro-magnet for its armature,

IOO

IIO

to the burners, and the pivoted contact-levers G, in combination with the push-spindles H, having arms h,with pins by which said 1evers are forced into contact with the tracks, the means by which the levers'are revolved, consisting of the shaft e of a clock-work mechanism,having disk F and frame j', carrying said levers, the spring J, bearing under disk F,the spring, disk, levers, and tracks being in the spark-coil circuit to the burners,and the means by which the levers are started and stopped,

consisting of the push-button S and electromagnet K in a separate circuit, the armature k of said magnet, the pivoted shaft L,to which the armature is attached, the lever M on said x 5 shaft, having arm m, adapted to move into and out of the path of the fan-wheel of the clock mechanism, and a lug, m', and the disk N on top of the shaft e of the clock-Work meehanism,having a notch, n, into which the 2o lug ts, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

.TULIUS FINCK.

Titnessesz S. H. NoURsE, H. C. LEE. 

